Mercury Publications

The focus of Spivak's line was on detective and mystery stories and novels, but it also included magazines about humor, fantasy, and true crime.

The offices were located at 570 Lexington Avenue in New York, NY and in later years in Cornwall, Connecticut.

Starting with #210, it ran for 23 issues before merging with Bestseller Mystery Magazine.

In the fall of 1950, Spivak sold The American Mercury to millionaire investment banker Clendenin J. Ryan, and his editor was William Bradford Huie.

After leaving the art director position, he continued to design covers for Mercury.The Mercury Press name continued on Fantasy and Science Fiction (eventually its only publication) under Joseph and his son Edward L. Ferman until F&SF was sold to Gordon Van Gelder in 2000.